Invalid vehicle



Dec. 14 1926.

`A l1,610,921 E, J. BoRowsKl er A.

INVALID VEHIC-LE l Filed aan. 21, 41925 2 sneets-sheet 1 Dec. 14 1926.

E. J.- BoRowsKl err-AL INVALID VEHICLE Filed Jan. 21. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig 5 by means of hooks or locking bolts which Patented Dec. ll, 1926.

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EDMOND JEAN BOROWSKI, F LA PLAINE ST.DENIS. AND CHARLES VIAUD; 0F LA COURNEUVE, FRANCE.

INVALH) VEI-IECLE.

Application led January 21, 1925, Serial No. 3,727, and in France February 7, 1924.

ln the construction shown in the drawing, 1 is the vehicle ,frame which is mounted in the known manner upon three wheels; the front wheel 2 is the steering; wheel and the two rear wheels 3 are the driving wheels and are actuated by means of the link 5 and of the pivoted lever la which is adapted to oscillate bynieans of trunnions 4:0 on the bearings of a supportel secured to the footboard of the vehicle; as shown in detail in Fig. 9. The outer tube l to which the hand wheel is secured serves or'the steering ot the front wheel, as it will be hereinafter described.

The front wheel 2 rotates upon its axle 6 held in the fork 7 which is movable in the sleeve 8 mounted upon the vehicle frame. Each end of the axle 6 is held in a clamping` device 9 whereof the two jaws are urejed together by the spring 10. and which is connected by a rigid rod 11 and by an elastic rod l2 with the plate 13; the rods ll'and 12 are respectively pivoted-at 14 and 15 to the said plate which is preferably Vmade of steel and is ribbed for the sake of stitl"- ness. The surface ot said plate adjacent the wheel is suitably striated in order that the periphery of said wheel may properly adhere to said plate when necessary.

The present invention relates to a device by which invalids when seated in their small vehicles will be enabled to mount upon or descend from the pavements without havl ing recourse to any slopingportions of the same. i

The said device, which may be removably fitted upon a vehicle without any modilication or deterioration of the latter. is of a simple and light construction; and chiefly characterized by the fact that it is composed of suitable plates which are movable about the axis of each of the vehicle wheels. said plates being' held in the inoperative position are controlled b v small levers placed within reach ot the driver; when the said plates are disengaged; they will come in front of the wheels which are to mount upon or descend from the pavement, the said plates returning; automaticalh.7 to the inoperative position when the step has been cleared.

The characteristic features of the said invention are setforth in the following; description with reference to the appended drawings in which:

1 is an elevation oi an invalid vehicle provided with the device according to the invention. the plates beine shownA in the inoperative position; the dot and dash lines indicate the position oit the front plate when the corresponding; wheel is to mount upon the pavement.

Fia. 2 is a front view or' the front wheel.

Fig'. S'shows the rear part of the vehicle.

Fig. Llis an elevation on a larger scale ot the plate ot one of the rear wheels in the inoperative position.

Fig. 5 shows the same plate when the vehicle wheel rolls thereupon in order to mount upon the pavement; the dot and dash lines show the path Jollowedby the staple of the bolt when the said plate returns to the inoperative position.

Fig. 6 is a partial cross section on the line A-A of Fig. .4. Y

Figs. 7 and 8 are. detail views on a larger scale of the jaws mounted on the wheel axles and connected with the corresponding` plates; in Fig. 8 the jaws are in the open position and the wheel axle is shown when passing from one recess to the other.

Fig'. 9 shows a detail of the steering' atlachnient.

position b v the hook 16 whereof one end en- -gases in a hole in the said plate; said hook which is kpivoted on the axle pin 17 is the sleeve 8 and is provided at 19 with a ring; for guiding); `the cable 20 which serves to control the said hook. The said cable. which is preferably of the Bowden type is attached at one end to an operating lever or handle within the drivers reachq it beine wheel 35.

Each jaw ot the clamping device 9 has two corresponding recesses 22 and 23. and when the device is closed by the spring 10 the said recesses term two cylindrical bearing' parts which havel substantially the .same diameter as the wheel axle 6. .ln the inoperative position the aXlc 6 is revoluble in the bearing' 22. but when the wheel rolls upon the plate 13, and during; the displacement ot the plate which returns to the inoperative position, the said axle will be revj oluble in the bearing 23; said aXle is en The plate 13 is held in the inoperative mounted upon a collar 1S which surroundsV consequently disposed upon the steering" .27, is revoluble in the bearing; partQQt but whenthe wheels roll upon the said pla es, the axle will be revoluble in the bearing` part 28. y Due to the increased length ot the plate 24 the. device mayY comprise a slotted strut 25. `fEacliof the said plates is held in the inoperative position by a sliding bolt 28 engsi-'ging in acat-ch or staple consisting oli a metallic piece 33 oit suitable shape whichfis secured toithe rigidi-od 2 5 or each plate Q4; said `inetallic piece has an extension 33a tor guiding the said bolt in such manner that it willV enter the said staple when the said plate returns to tlie inoperative position after use. The two bolts 2S are spring pressed outwardly so as to hold the respectiif'e-plates 241V; they yare connected together a cable 29Vso that they may be operated at the saine timeby asingle, cable 30 ,which is attachee to the cable 29 between the guiding rollers 31. rlhe -end of the cable 30 is attached to a handle 21aN which is mounted on the pivotedlever 4,

The operation is as follows:

Y A In order to inount upon the pavement 32j the vehicle is broughtbefore the curbingin themperpendicular position, and when the front wheel Q near Ythe edge the driver presses upon the outer end ofthe control lever 21 so as to draw upon the cable 2O within its outer tubing in the manner proper to a Bowden brake control attachinenlr in order as to rotate the hool; 16 about the axle pin 1 7 and thus disengage the plate 13; said plate will rotate onthe wheel axle 6 and will assume the position shown in the dot and dash lines in Fig. 1. The vehicle is then 1noVed forward; the wheel is engaged uponthe plate 13, and since the disitance between said plate and thebearing 22 in which the aiile G is now situated is greater than the diaineter of the wheel Q the rigid rods 11 will push upon the jaws ot the clamp 9; the axle 6 will open the clamp 8) and it will then enter the bearing part 28 whose distance troni the said plate is Iequal to the diameter ot the wheel. The said wheel will now inount upon the pavement.

Due. to the elastic rod 1Q, the plate 13 is enabled to properly enter into contact with the ground and with the edge or the pavement.

vllhen the frontwheel has thus mounted upon the pavement, Vthe said wheel will'convit will cause the 4said plate tinue its rotation and will thus actuate by friction contact the plate 13 which is applied against it by the springeof the elastic rod 12 and which by reason or' its striated surface will be prevented' troni' slipping upon the surface of the wheel. rlhe entraining effect oit the rotation will lalso be facilitated by the clamping' action of the jaws oli' the clamp 9 upon the axle (i when urged by the springs 10.

`When the plate 13 moves together with the wheel it will pass' between the branches olf 'the iorli 7 but since the hook 16 has now resuined the normal. position under thev ei- -feet ot asuitably disposed reaction spring,` it will engage in the hole inV the said plate when the latter comes in register therewilr so 'that the plate 13 will thus be held in positioni, and since the forward motion of the wheel will tend to drive foriifard the said plate, the jaws 9 will be o'p'e'n for this reason and the axle G will now enter the bearing; part 2Q. The device is now in the norin'al or inoperative position.

lilhen the rea-r wheels 3 approach the edge o1' the paveinent 32, the' driver acts upon his control lever or handle 21, thus drawing` upon the cable 30 in the saine manner as described above forv the operation ot the cable 20; the bolts 2S will be 'disengaged troni the staples 33 means of the cable 29. The two plates 24 which are now released will pivot about the axle 27 and will coine into position in front of the wheels. is the vehicle inoves forward, the said wheels will inount upon the plates 2d; since the rods 25 are rigid, they will oblige the jaws of the clanips 9 to open, and the axle 27 will thus enter the recess 28. The wheels will roll upon the plates? Fig. 5, which latter' are well maintained in Contact with the ground and with the edge oit the pavement by the elastic rods 26.

lillhen the wheels 3 are in the proper position on the paven'ient, the plates @-1 which are in close contact with said wheels will rotate with the latter, and this inotion will le facilitated by the friction or the clainps 9 upon the axle 2. In the inoveinent o1" rotation of said plate, the extension 33 ot the nieinber niounted on one of the ri gi-d rods 25 o'il each plate will corne into contact with the respective bolt 2S which has now 'resinned its normal position since the control handle 21a is no longer acted upon; said bolt will engage in Jthe staple but at the saine time duo to the shape'ot' the extension 33a.) to mov-e in the direction or the arrow 34: and thus becoine separated t'roin the wheel; the laws ot 4the clamps 9 will then nieve apart. and the axle 27 will r'esuine its position in the recesses 522 and the clainps 9 becoine closed. The device is thus in the normal or inoperntiif'e position.

lOl-l If on the contrary the vehicle is to descend from the pavement, it is brought into the position in which it is perpendicular to the edge. The front wheel is stopped as near as possible to this edge; the plate 13 is released from the hook 16 and comes upon the pavement in front of the said wheel; the vehicle is then moved forward, and the front wheel travels upon the said plate, so that the latter will. tip over and will bear upon the edge of the pavement and upon the ground, this movement being made possible by the elastic rods 12.

The operation of the rear wheels is performed in the same manner as above stated. The steering of the vehicle may be obtained in any preferred manner, for instance by means of a lever 36 one end of which is fulcrumed to the outer end of an arm 37 secured to the fork 7, the other end of which being' fulcrumed at 38fL to a bent lever 38 secured to the outer tube l to which the hand wheel. is rigidly connected.

Obviously, the device hereinbefore described is susceptible of various modifications without departing` from the spirit of the invention, and in particular, the elastic rods 12 and 26 may be constructed in any suitable manner, and each rod may for instance consist of two telescopinp,- tubes containing a spring.

Having now describedl our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an invalid vehicle the combination of plates respectively disposed iu front of the vehicle wheels, means for pivotally mounting said plates upon the wheel axles and whereby said plates are successively brought into contact with the periphery of the wheels and removed therefrom, and means operated by the driver for locking said plates in the latter or inoperative position.

2. ln an invalid vehicle the combination of plates respectively disposed in front of the vehicle wheels, means for pivotally mounting` said plates upon the wheel axles at a distance from the periphery ofthe wheels normally greater than the radius thereof and whereby said wheels, under the weipght of the vehicle, are caused to engage said plates when the latter are in Contact with the ground, and means for locking' said plates in their position removed fromthe wheels.

3. ln an invalid vehicle the combination of plates respectively disposed in front of the vehicle wheels, means for pivotally mounting said plates upon the wheel axles at a distance from the periphery of the wheels normally greater than the radius thereof and whereby said wheels, under the said jaws and whereby the latter are adapted to rotate on the wheel axle, a rigid rod and a yielding rod pivoted at one end to one of said jaws and at theother end to said plate,'the distances between said bores and said plate being respectively equal to and greater than the wheel radius, means carried by the vehicle frame and adapted to exert a traction upon said rigid rod and jaws and to lock said plate above the wheel when the plate is brought by contact with the wheel above the latter and means oper# ated by the driver for releasing said plate from said locking' means.

5. The combination with each wheel of an invalid vehicle, of a plate, two jaws pivoted to and yieldingly urged towards each other, two bores respectively formed by half in said jaws and whereby the latter are adapted to rotate on the wheel axle,l a. rigid rod and a yielding rod pivoted at one end to one of said jaws and atv the other end to said plate, the distances between said bores and said plate being` respectively equal to and greater than the wheel radius, a hole in said plate and a hook carried by the vehicle frame and operated by the driver and adapted to engage said hole and stop said plate when Athe latter is brought by contact with the wheel above the same.

6. The combination with each wheel of an invalid vehicle, of a plate, two jaws pivoted to and yieldingly urged towards each other, two bores respectively formed by half in said jaws and whereby the latter are adapted to rotate on the wheel Y axle, a rigid rod and a yielding rod pivoted at one end to one of said jaws and at the other end to said plate, the distances between said bores and said plate being respectively equal to and greater than the wheel radius, a cam shaped catch carried by said rigid rod and a bolt carried by the vehicle frame and operated by the driver and adapted to engage said catch and to exert a `traction upon said rigid rod and jaws when said plate is brought by contact with the wheel above the latter.

ln testimony whereof we have signed our naines to rthis specification. f

EDMOND JEAN BOROVVSKI. CHARLES VIAUD. 

